Apparatus for testing oil well for mations by pumping



y 1937- E. P. HALLIBURTON 2,085,972

APPARATUS FOR TESTING OIL WELL FORMATIONS BY PUMPING Filed Aug. 29, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 6,1937. E; P.'HALLIBURTON 2,085,972

I APPARATUS FOR TESTING OIL WELL FORMATIONS BY PUMPING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 29, 1,934

I ln'ventar Patented July 6, 1937' PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR TESTING Oil WELL. FOB- Y MATIONS BY PUMPING Eric P. Halliburton, Los An ena'oam, assignor .to Halliburton Oil Well cementing 00., Dan 7 can, kla., a corporation of Delaware Application August 29,

6 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus of the type employed for testing wells, such as oil wells, which apparatus includes a single string of pipe to be lowered into the well hole, which pipe carries a packer, which may be set in the bottom of the paratus now generally known as the single string tester, a string of pipe is lowered into the bottom of the well hole, which carries av'alve at its lower end, closing. the pipe from communication with the mud fluid in the well. The pipe is thus lowered empty to the bottom of the well-hole. The pipe also carries a packer, which may be set in arat hole at the bottom of the well or may be expanded to make a seal with the side walls of the well. This seals off the well below the packer from the mud fluid within the well and by maniplilation of the pipe, i. e. either turning or lowering the pipe, the valve isopened to permit fluid from below the packer to enter the string of pipe. In certain cases, sumcient fluid'will-not enter the testing apparatus in order for the operator to obtain a satisfactory knowledge of the condition of the well or formation being tested. example, where the test is made upon oil formation in which the oil is under such low pressure that the well when finished will only produce by' pumping, with testers of the aforementioned type, a suflicient sample of the oil from the formation may not be secured. Likewise, if the'formation is 40 of specially tight construction, and, particularly,

if it has been heavily mudded it may not flow 7 into the well tester. Also, in casethe well testing apparatus is employed to test the tightness of casing for water leaking below the packer, a sumcient test may not be accomplished by merely opening the valve of the tester.

It has been suggested that in such cases a pump might be lowered through the testing pipe, but this would involve the insertion into the well of a second string of pipe, which is, at 'least from a, practical standpoint, impossible.

It is the general object of thepresent invention to providea well tester with a self-contained pumping unit,which' pumping unit may be operated by reciprocations of the usual single string to providing such a well-testing apparatus with a Thus, for

1934, Serial No. 741,907

of pipe, which carries also the packer and valve of the well tester.' I

Various further objects and advantages of the presentinvention will be understood from a description of the preferred form or example of the 5 well-testing apparatus which embodies my inven-' tion.

In the drawings,-

Figure 1 is an elevation of a well hole showing theassembled apparatus in position.

Figure 2 is. an enlarged elevation mainly in vertical section showing particularly the pump of the tester, the pumping elements being indicated in the bottom position.

Figure 3 is a similar-elevation in section with the parts in the upper position. f

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of portions of the pump. I I

- Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 2. v Figure 6 is a section on the lineG-B of Figure 2. Figure 7 is a section on the line 'l--'! of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawings, 2 generally indicates a well hole having a rat hole 3 bored in its I lower end into an oil producing formation 4.

The testing apparatus is shown in testing position in the well hole and as comprising as its major elements a string of pipe 5 which leads from the apparatus to the top of the well hole, a pump 6, and a well tester of any desired or preferred form I, which, as usual, is provided with a packer 8 and an inlet tube 9 below the packer. The particular tester shown may be identical with that shown in Figure 2 of my Patent No. 1,992,424, issued February 26, 1935, and has a rotating stop cock valve 1' and a rat hole packer 8,although it is to -be understood that anyother form of tester may be substituted for that shown.

The top of the testeris provided with a seat I0 for a standing valve I I illustrated as preferably of the ball type. The pump 1 preferably includes a working barrel l2, the lower end of which is connected by a collar Hi to the top of the tester. 45 The lower section of the string of pipe 5 is con-- nected within the working barrel by a collar H with a plunger IS. The plunger l5 has a hollow bore It for passage of fluid, and at its upper end forms a seat fortravelling valve II, which is likewise of the ball type.

The plunger I5 is indicated as preferably provided with a number of packing cups l8 for engagement with the sides of the working barrel, and is likewise provided at its lower end with a 5 gaged by splines 2| formed at the lower end of the working barrel I2 in order to lock the working barrel against rotation-relative to the plunger and string of pipe 5 when these latter elements are in the lower position. The collar II which connects the plunger with a string of pipe 5 is provided with a number of key-ways 22, which.

are adapted to engage splines 23 formed at the upper end of the working barrel I2 so as to lock the working barrel, plunger and string of pipe 5 against relative rotation when, the plunger is in the upper position of the working barrel; Ports 24 are indicated as leading to these key-ways from the bore of the pipe 5 inorder to handle the fluid above the plunger l5, which is'trapped between the workingbarrel and section of pipe 5.

At the upper end of the working barrel is indicateda collar 25, which carries packing 26 and a packing gland 21 for packing the section of pipe 5 against leakage of fluid from the working barrel l2. 7

In testing a well with the apparatus just described, the apparatus is attached to the lower string of drill pipe 5 with a plunger in the upper position, as indicated in Figure 3, and the apparatus lowered through the well hole with the valve 1' of the tester in the closed position and with the pipe 5 empty of fluid. When it reaches the position in the well at which the test is to be made, the packer 8 is caused to engage the formation. It is understood, of course, that in place of the rat hole type of packer a wall type of packer may be substituted, as is well understood in the art.. If the rat hole .type of tester is employed, when the packer 8 hits the top of the rat hole 3, the pipe 5 pushes'the plunger 15 downwardlyuntil it strikes the bottom of the working barrel l2, in which position it is again blocked from rotation relative to the working barrel and in which position the weight or a portion of the weight of the pipe may be used for pressing the packer against the formation to form a flrm seat.

A portion of the weight of the pipe is then released from the packer and the pipe 5 rotated to open the stop cock valve I and permit fluid from the formation 4 to enter the inlet pipe 9 and rise upwardly through the testing apparatus. It is apparent that other types of valves may be employed rather than the stop cock valve, where desired. It the pressure of the fluids on the oil tested is 'sufllcient,the fluid may-rise through the apparatus by the standing valve [I and traveling valve ll up through the string of pipe 5 for a desired distance possibly to the top of the well hole. In other cases, where the fluid will not readily enter the apparatus the manipulation of the pump 6 is employed for drawing the fluid into the apparatus. For this purpose, the drill pipe 5 is reciprocated in the well hole, causing the plunger 15 to work up and down in the working barrel l2. In doing the up-stroke oi the" plunger II, fluid is drawn into theworking barrel by the standing valve H,- One the down-stroke of the working'barrel the standing valve ll closes and the fluid increased in the working barrel is forced by theplunger to pass'through the bore of the plunger above the traveling valve .l1 and up into the pipe! on its way to the top of the well hole.

With the apparatus thus described it has been found possibleto obtain tests 'on formations producing formation or other formation, to be which are too tight to yield proper tests with ordinary testing apparatus. or in which the pressure is too low for the ordinary apparatus to make a successful test. It has also been found possibl to better test casings for leaks.

While the particular form of the apparatus herein described is well adapted to carry out the objects of the present invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the apparatus without departing from the principles of the invention and that this invention in-- cludes all such changes and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 4

1. An apparatus for testing oil wells, comprising a string of pipe carrying a valve adapted to be closed for maintaining the string of pipe empty while the apparatus is lowered into an oil well, a packer carried by said string of pipe and adapted to engage said well for sealing oil the well below the packer from communication with drilling fluid above said packer, and a pump carried by said string of pipe adjacent said valve adapted to be operated by reciprocating sai string of pipe relative to said valve.

2. An apparatus for testing a well by pumping, comprising a well tester including a packer adapted to seal a portion of the well below the packer from the mud fluid above the packer, a single string of pipe by which the apparatus is to be lowered into the well and operated, a valve having one part attached to said packer and another part attached to a member having means for rotatably locking the same to said string of pipe so that said valve is adapted to be opened and closed by rotary motion of said string of pipe upon which said valve and packer are lowered, and a. pump including a standing valve connected to the tester above-the first mentioned valve and a traveling valve adapted to be connected with the string of pipe whereby in operation reciprocation of the string of pipe will actuate said pump."

3. An apparatus for testing a well by pumping,

comprising a well tester including a packer traveling valve adapted to be connected with the string-of pipewhereby in operation reciprocation of the string, of pipe will actuate said.pump, and

means for locking the tester and string of pipe against relative rotation.

4. An apparatus for testing'a well while leaving the mud fluid of the well in place, which comprises a packer, an inlet tube extending be-.

low the packer, asingle string of pipe by which said apparatus is adapted to be lowered into the well hole and operated; a valve connected with the packer and operable bymotion impartedjat' the top of the well to said string of pipe, 3. work'- ing barrel connectedwith the valve, a standing valve at the lower end of the working barreL's'aid string of pipe having its lower portion recipro-I cally mounted within said working barrel and carrying a plunger and traveling valve, means for packing the working barrelto said lower se'ction of'said string of pipe. I v

5. An apparatus for testing a-well while leaving the mud fluid oi the well in place;;which comprises a packer, aninlet tube extending below the packer, a valve connected with said packer and operable by motion imparted at the top of the well to a string of pipe, such string of pipe,

a working barrel connected with the valve, 9.

standing valve at the lower end of the working barrel, a string 01 pipe having its lower portion reciprocally mounted within said working barrel and carrying a plunger and standing valve,

means for packing the working barrel to said lower section of said string of pipe, an interlocking means between said lower section of the string of pipe and said working barrel for locking said parts against relative rotation.

6. An apparatus for testing a well hole, comprising a string of pipe the lower end of which is reciprocally mounted in a working chamber,

- chamber, a valve mounted below said standing valve and operable to open and close the passages to said string of pipe when actuated by rotary motion of said string ofpipe, a packer below said valve, and an inlet tube below said packer.

. ERLE P. I-IAILIBURTON. 

